[CPN] Mayor Hancock to Meet with Congressional Members, Explain Denver Impact of Sequestration

 

		PRESS RELEASE                For Immediate Release     Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012
	City and County of Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock  Rowena Alegría, Communications Director Rowena.Alegría@DenverGov.org Amber Miller, Press Secretary Amber.Miller@DenverGov.org O: 720.865.9095   Mayor Hancock to Meet with Congressional Members, Explain Denver Impact of Sequestration   DENVER – Mayor Michael B. Hancock will be in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to discuss the effects sequestration, or the "fiscal cliff," would have on the City and County of Denver with Colorado's congressional delegation and other House and Senate leaders.   "Many key city programs depend on the funds that are slated to be cut under sequestration," Mayor Hancock said. "The first to be impacted are critical safety net services Denver residents are relying on in these tough times. Failing to reach a meaningful deal would have a very real effect on Denver. It's time for our congressional leaders to get past partisan gridlock and find a smart, consensus-driven solution to this fast approaching fiscal debacle."   Mayor Hancock will be part of a bipartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors delegation Thursday to lobby against sequestration cuts.   Cities and metro areas will bear a significant burden of the automatic, across-the-board cuts called for under sequestration starting in January. Denver would see hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding reductions to several key city departments, including:   ·         Economic Development and Housing: Reduced availability of Community Development Block Grants, Home Investment Partnership Program funds and workforce development funds which will negatively impact the city's ability to leverage funds for economic development and affordable housing.   ·         Human Services: Cuts to children and family services, low-income childcare assistance, Social Service Block funding and homeless assistance grants.   ·         Safety: Cuts to Law Enforcement Assistance Grants and Juvenile Justice Grants which help fund priority safety needs, community policing efforts, victim service coordination and regional law enforcement response to human trafficking/exploitation of children.   In October, Mayor Hancock also signed a letter – along with 163 other mayors – calling on Congress to work together to find a bipartisan and balanced solution to achieve deficit reduction that facilitates, not undermines, economic growth in the nation's cities and metropolitan areas.   See The U.S. Conference of Mayors' media advisory attached.   # # #